The gut immune system plays an important role in preventing inflammation induced by food derived antigens. However, the role the immune system plays in ensuring that plant based materials are modified to be beneficial as opposed to being perceived as antigens is not clear. Numerous naturally occurring nanoparticles exist in our diet and are absorbed through the intestine daily. How they influence our mucosal and systemic immune system though is poorly understood.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal macrophages are important in maintaining mucosal tolerance and suppressing inflammation to maintain the host's steady-state. However, under pathophysiological conditions, such as IBD, intestinal macrophages lose their tolerogenic properties which results in uncontrolled intestinal inflammation. Thus, manipulating the function of intestinal macrophages is considered an important strategy in the treatment of IBD patients. Conventional therapies for IBD are steroidal drugs and immunosuppressants. Yet, these therapies generally fail to produce satisfactory results due to their lack of specific targeting and their toxicity to normal cells. Therefore, development of a new or an alternative delivery system to locate immunosuppressants selectively to intestinal inflammatory cells is essential for patients with IBD.